Source: Telegraph
Manchester United fans' criticism of 'lethargic' Dimitar Berbatov wide of the mark
Angry United supporters have made Berbatov the scapegoat for the club's FA Cup exit at the hands of Everton and bombarded radio phone-ins and supporters' websites lamenting what they perceive to be the 28-year-old's lack of interest, while criticising his work-rate and commitment since his £30.75 million move from Tottenham last summer.
Former United manager Tommy Docherty, now a pundit for BBC Manchester, even said: 'Berbatov has been an absolute disaster. If it was up to me, I'd have dumped him months ago.
'The guy could get injured on A Question of Sport. He's so dour and doesn't seem interested. He should look at Carlos Tevez and see the way he always grafts to win the ball back.
'I'm sure someone will want to buy him in the summer - and United would cut the hand off anybody who offers near £30m.'
However, while Berbatov may have missed a spot kick at Wembley that contributed to United's bid for the quintuple coming to a dramatic end, stats show that he is generally performing at a higher level for Sir Alex Ferguson's men than he did at Spurs, and he has, in fact, become more of a team player.
Ferguson was quick to jump to Berbatov's defence following the supporter tirades, saying: "I don't see any evidence that he's tailing off. He had his injury and missed a couple of games, but he came on and did well in the game. He did really well."
And the stats back up Ferguson's assertion that Berbatov is not slacking.
During his time at White Hart Lane, Berbatov made 70 Premier League appearances, with a goals-per-game ratio of 0.39. He had a shooting accuracy of 54 per cent and a chance conversion of 16 per cent.
Compare that to his first season at Old Trafford. He has so far made 27 league appearances, with a goals-per-game ratio of 0.30, a shooting accuracy of 54 and a chance conversion of 21.
So far quite similar. But it is his overall team play that shows a marked improvement. In 70 league games for Tottenham he only made 18 assists compared with the eight he has already made with United.
His cross completion percentage is also higher, as is his tackling and passing.
